The India-Pakistan conflict lasted for 87 hours, with expenditures amounting to 1 billion dollars per hour.

 

The 87-hour India-Pakistan conflict was not limited to the battlefield—it also shook the economy, investment, and airspace. The cost of modern warfare, with losses of $1 billion per hour, has been exposed.

The News.com.pk reported this in a report on Sunday (May 11).

The report said that at 1:05 am on May 7, the Indian Air Force launched a military operation called ‘Operation Siddhar’, which lasted 23 minutes. It targeted nine civilian installations inside Pakistan. The main attack was carried out by French-made Rafale fighter jets, equipped with long-range cruise missiles and precision glide bombs, which had a range of about 550 kilometers.

From May 7 to 10, India tested radar and ground-launched missile responses using some self-propelled weapons to assess Pakistan’s air defense structure. It used drones and other aircraft jointly developed by India and Israel, which were operated to identify targets and find weaknesses in defense systems.

In response, Pakistan responded with a combined force of its air force, ground forces, and missile units. The Pakistan Air Force used the Chinese-made J-10C as its main multirole fighter, which was equipped with long-range air-to-air missiles and advanced electronic warfare systems.

Between 1:05 AM and 1:30 AM on May 7, the Pakistan Air Force shot down three French Rafale fighter jets—the first such aircraft to be shot down in combat. Pakistan said it had destroyed a total of 12 Indian drones, using a combination of electronic warfare, anti-aircraft guns, and short-range surface-to-air missiles.

India's main stock market indices, the Nifty and Sensex, lost a combined $82 billion in market capitalization in the 87-hour and 25-minute conflict. The closure of airspace in northern India caused a daily loss of about $8 million in commercial air traffic. The cancellation of a popular cricket tournament resulted in a loss of about $50 million in broadcasting, ticket sales and advertising.

The military sector suffered a loss of about $100 million and the destruction of fighter jets caused about $400 million. The disruption of goods transport and commercial transactions caused a loss of about $2 billion. In total, India's total loss amounted to an estimated $83 billion.

On the other hand, the main index of the Pakistani stock market fell by about 4.1 percent, losing a total of $2.5 billion in capital. The suspension of the Pakistani cricket league caused a loss of about $10 million in broadcasting and advertising. The closure of airspace caused a loss of about $20 million in commercial air traffic.

The daily military expenditure was about $25 million. An estimated $300 million was spent on operating drones and missiles. The confidence of foreign investors has decreased slightly, but it is not measurable. The total loss stands at about $4 billion.

This 87-hour war was not just in the skies—it also spread domestically, with stock market crashes, currency devaluations, disruptions to trade, air travel disruptions, and foreign investor disillusionment. The cost of war is estimated at a billion dollars per hour. The true cost of modern warfare is not limited to missiles and fighter jets—it is reflected in the economy, investment, livelihoods, and global confidence.